Multifocal ophthalmic lens



A. J. CROSS. muiilrobAL OPHRHALMIC LENS.

APPLICATION FILED mLzr, 1922.

INVENTOR ANDREW JAY CROSS.

ATTORNEY hEUlL-EIEGCAL OPHTHALMIC LENS.

JAY Cnoss, a and a resident have invented a new and useful linprove-- Jphthahnic Lenses, of

s a full, clear, and

' inul'tifocal ophthalmic lenses, and more particularly to t* iocal lenses. The general oboif my invention is to produce a trifocal which can be easily made with sufiicient accuracy, and in which the distance and n vision fields or visual areas are substantially its-rial, and the intermediate areas occupy "lerally triangular spaces on oppoportions oi": the lens, and partly between the near and cloe vision fields. To e, my invention is intended to produce lens which will be as nearly perfeet possible, having distance, close vision, and intermed ate visual areas, and with the latter provided with an approximately .common. optical center or principal axis which is not common to the center or centers of the other fields, to the end that the lens may be l find in practice that it is desn tale to have "the distance and close vision fie" provided with common optical cen r or jrh'icipal axis, as this prevents consion-and aberration as the eye passes from cld to field; lot in making intermediate with a principal axis or optical enter common to the center of the other elds, l find that it is a very ditficult lens to a. becatr of mechanical difiiculties in i experiments have further so long," as these intermediate visual Z4. site B igh have an optical center or principal common to themselves, it is not important this center he common to the fields of vision, because the nee visual fields of glasses are ile the intermediate fields It is important to ged substantially as shown,

of the lens can, by a slight the eye, look through the intermediate vision fields, but if these fields have a common principal axis or optical center, their incidei'ital use is not confusing. My invention consists in a lens having these intermediate visual fields or areas produced thereon with a principal axis which Specification of Letters Patent.

ed January 21, 19522.

vision member is not common, however, to the other fields of vision. I have hereto'tore made multitocal lenses with a common principal axis and with intermediate vision areas arranged similarly to those shown in the present case, but the center of the ii'lterinediate field is common to the other fields E vision, and as stat-ed above, it is a very difi'icult proposition to make a lens or" this class commercially. This will be better understood from the description which follows.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar retercnce characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a lens showing my improvement.

Figure :2 is a cross section on the line .2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a cross section 'on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. I

By way of example I have shown my in-- vcntion in connection with a monocentric lens having: the distance field l0 and near vision field ll united edge to edge by fusing, but the invention might be applied to a solid ground lens. Lenses of this kind have the outer area smooth and in a single plane, and on the inner side there is ,usuallyand preterably a. slight overhang 12 where the fields unite. This has nothing to do with the present invention, and it is usual because it is mechanically easier to make lenses this way with a sharp definition between the visual fields.

As illustrated, the visual areas and ll have a common optical center or principal axis at a, which as shown is in the r istance vision field 10, but it might just as well be at the junction of the two fields 10 and 11, or even in the visual area 11, without affectmg this invention. It is important, however, that the two fields have a common optical center.

The intermediate visual areas 13 are not new in a general sense, and I have heretofore made lenses having substantially this triangular arrangement at the side portions of the lens and partially between the fields 10 and 11. As illustrated, these fields merge at a line 14 with the distance field 10, having a slight overhang where they meet the close 11. The line 14 is not noticeable in the finished lens, and the overhang 15 is not essential, though as stated above,

I find that it is easier to get a sharp definition by having this overhang, and find it mechanically easier to make the lens. The intermediate areas 13 have an approximately common center, which I find can be conveniently located at b as in Figure 1, which is the point below the lower periphery of the complete lens. -Any lens grinder, however, will understand that this center can be located at a desired point, and the important thing is to have an approximately common optical center for the two fields.

The invention as described seems exceedingly simple but years oi time have been used and enormous expense incurred in trying to perfect.a multifocal lens which will not be objectionable to the wearer, which will give him a sufiicient scope in use, and which can be mechanically made at a cost to make the lens commercial. This last feature has been an exceedingly difficult one, and I have found thatby locating the fields as described, and giving them an approximately common principal axis independent of the other fields of vision. the grinding can be effected at moderate cost, and a very satisfactory and handsome lens produced.

In the finished article, the fields 13 can be observed only by minute scrutiny. and they serve the purpose of adding another power to the ordinary bifocal lens. They canbe easily made with acommon center different from that of the other zones or visual areas, and as their use is only occasional and incidental, the difference in optical centers is not confusing or noticeable.

In practice I have made this intermediate field or area on lenses in which the parts and 11 have been united by edge fusing and 2. As an improved article of manufacture,-

a trifocal lens having near and distance visual areas one above the other which are monocentric, and' intermediate visual areas at the sides of and partly between the near and distance visual fields or areas. sald intermediate fields having an approximatelycommon principal axis which is not common to the other visual fields or areas.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a multifocal bicentric lens comprising near and distance fields or areas which are monocentric, and intermediate visual fields or areas which are also monocentric, but having their principal axis independent of the axis of the near and distance areas.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a trifocal ophthalmic lens comprising near and distance visual fields or areas. and intermediate visual fields or areas'spaced apart from each other and having an independent common principal axis,

ANDBElV JAY CROSS.

lVitnesses Wamznx B. l-lIrromxsoN, M. (l. ODoNNEnu 

